Alinea

"It's called Louis Vuitton, but sometimes, I wear Prada and Gucci," Suzuki Ara declared with a deliberate smugness and air of a spoilt socialite that irritated the hell out of the young men.

Their anger had pushed away the alcohol in their brains, reducing their drunkenness. They wanted blood spilled tonight and it would be hers – or so they thought.

"Why you crazy fox lady," the guy called Kaito said as he lunged for an attack.

He had his fist raised, ready to punch her with a karate move called "choku-zuki", but Ara didn't even side-step. Instead, she lifted her hand to receive his straight punch with her palm, and clamped on it firmly.

"W-what…"The guy was totally surprised with her strength.

He tried to retrieve his hand but couldn't.

"Get her! What are you staring there for?" he screamed at his companions, and they all scrambled to get close.

Each one of them tried to hit her, but each time they did, Ara dodged them skillfully all the while holding their leader whose eyes nearly popped out of their sockets upon nearly being hit by his own friends several times.

"Watch where you're swinging you assholes," he snarled as one nearly got his face when Ara sidestepped his friend's attacks.

They tried to swing punches and land kicks so many times, but nothing ever connected. In a few minutes, most of them totally looked exhausted and Ara's eyes twinkled behind her mask.

"I guess it's my turn,"Ara said in a sing-song voice that made people more annoyed. "Let's see," she added as she tried to think of what she'd do.

"Ah why don't you try this," she said as she lifted the guy she had been holding easily from his hand and threw him towards his friends who all staggered backwards as they caught him. "That's Horgall's 'this-is-a-tree-chop-it-for-firewood' move."

HA?

The young not so drunken men were all flabbergasted. "What kind of move is that?" they snarled as they all stood up again and attacked at the same time. Most of them were obviously trained, and probably attended the same dojo as the one Ara threw earlier. But it didn't matter. She dealt with them like a breeze.

"KYAAAAA!" One guy jumped to give her a drop punch, but Ara caught his arm, swung him to the front then unceremoniously slapped him so hard he twisted before falling.

"Hey damn bitch slapping's a foul!"

"What foul? That's a legit move,"Ara said with an evil grin they couldn't see behind her mask. "It's the great Rubic's I-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-ran-out-of-arrows-I'll-slap-you-like-a-bitch move!"

With that, it was safe to say that five young men were severely beaten by a mysterious fox lady at a dark alley that night.

With her mischief for the evening over, Suzuki Ara went back to Denenchofu, but remained perched on the rooftop. She sat there as she watched the stars above as she sang the very same song she did when she entered the Devil's Cavern.

"Onwards where the garden is, onwards where her true love waits,

In another world, in another place and time…"

Her angelic voice rang in the night like a soft lullaby. She sang an old Ritz folk song - a love song about a lonely princess who yearned for happiness, but couldn't find it in her world, and so she requested Perun, the King of Heaven to send her off to another world where her fated one awaited her and they lived in bliss.

"Towards where all her sorrow's gone, in his arms where she belongs

Their destinies unfold, just like what heavens told …"

Her song trailed off as her eyes widened as a thought came to her, and then she smiled. The old love song was uncannily similar to what happened to her, except for one thing.

Just like the princess in the song, she had been unhappy in her world. By Perun's grace, she was given a chance to live again in another world. Perhaps, she would be happy here, she thought. As for the issue of love…

Ara laughed softly. She's not belittling people who were able to find love in this chaotic world, or any other worlds out there. She was truly happy for them. But she's enough of a realist to know that it's a blessing that's not for everyone.

As a princess, she was raised to understand these things. Because of who a person was, there were things that he or she wouldn't be able to do or have. Her position as a princess, and now as an heiress had given her so much advantages that normal people could only dream about. She had already been blessed enough; it would be too much to ask for something more like falling in love.

It was one of the reasons why she had no difficulty accepting her fate and agreeing to the arranged marriages in her previous life and in this new one. It's enough that she would end up with someone who she could respect, and who would respect her back.

With Ivan who was fond of her like a sibling, and with Kou who seemed to respect her freedom, Ara was already thankful and satisfied. There was no need for other complicated feelings – not that she would ever understand how complicated it was really, since she'd never fallen in love in any of her lives.

Hmmmmn…

The night was getting deeper, and it was time for her to retire to her room. Like Aki said, it's a school day tomorrow – or today since it was already the wee hours of the morning. She needed to at least have four hours of sleep to be able to function well.

She stood up from her sitting position, and stretched. Nimbly, she climbed down the roof and entered her open window, swinging like a gymnast. As soon as she landed inside, she heard a ripping sound and felt her bottom area cooling.

Uh - oh…

Ara glanced at the mirror and saw her jeans had ripped in the nether region exposing her flowery u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, and she g.r.o.a.n.e.d. She made a mental note to go shopping for sturdier clothes for her night strolls tomorrow.

On the other hand, she kind of liked the kitsune mask, so in her future costume, she would try to incorporate it.

Thinking of her future night strolls, and the future people she'd beat up, Ara changed to her pajamas and slept happily.